Luke’s hands were trembling. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept. He’d thrown himself into his work to avoid the thoughts that plagued him. Dozens of cityscapes had been painted and ruined adding to his collection of broken scenes. He had no other inspiration than the raw emotion that seemed to run through him every minute of every day.

Allen had been unable to distract him from his frenzied artistic endeavors. As far as Luke was concerned, the world outside of his apartment might as well not even exist anymore. Hunter had rejected him, and his world had crumbled.

All of the advice and discussion he and Allen had about the matter ended the same way. Hunter had made a decision, and Luke was unwilling to force the matter. He hated the thought of forcing his former fiancé to be with him out of obligation or persuasion. He wanted Hunter to choose him because he wanted to. That was the only thing, in his mind, that would make any of this better.

On the day of the gallery show, he was late. He had stood in front of his bathroom mirror for nearly an hour trying to decide whether or not he was actually going to put in an appearance. He finally concluded he owed it to Allen to at least go for a little while.

Reluctantly, he cleaned himself up and dug out a decent looking outfit from his dresser. With a heavy heart, and leaden feet, he left the apartment. He felt his chest tighten as he passed the door to Hunter’s apartment. Not wanting to chance an encounter with his former lover, he hurried into the elevator.

The chilly mid-winter wind blew past him as he stepped out onto the sidewalk. It was early evening. The street lights had already come on, and the lights of the city were aglow.

As he drew closer to the gallery, his pace slowed considerably. He tried to mentally prepare himself for the hubbub and shoulder rubbing of the city’s elite. Everyone would want to shake hands with the artist, they always did, but none of them wanted to meet a man that looked like his heart had been ripped from his chest and thrown in the gutter.

He forced a smile, practiced pleasantries, and tried to will himself into a better mood. It was important to look as if he was overjoyed to be there, even if his smile was fake.

By the time he reached the gallery, it was already full of well-dressed individuals sipping champagne as they paced the interior. Luke hovered outside for a moment, staring through the windows. None of the paintings had been hung too near the windows, the direct sunlight during the day would have harmed them. That made it difficult to see which of his paintings was getting the most attention from outside.

“Looks like I’m not the only one running late,” said a voice that sent Luke’s heart into the pit of his stomach. He glanced to his right and saw Hunter standing there wrapped in a coat and heavy scarf. His bright eyes almost seemed to glitter in the cold and his breath followed him like a cloud.

Of course Hunter would be here. He’d been training with Allen for this very night, hadn’t he? Luke could feel his pulse quicken. Despite the days they’d spent apart, their last night together played through his head. The heat and phantom smell of sex caused a chill to run down his spine.

“Don’t make it awkward,” said Hunter, looking away and burying his face in his scarf. The cold had made his cheeks rosy and the tips of his ears pink.

“S-sorry,” said Luke, trying to think of something to say to relieve the tension in the air. “I couldn’t figure out what to wear. That’s why I’m late.” He forced a chuckle that he hoped sounded more relaxed than he felt.

“I didn’t want to come,” admitted Hunter, simply. “I knew you’d be here. I...” he looked back over at Luke. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something. This isn’t really the time...” his voice trailed off as several pedestrians walked too close to them. He resumed once they had passed out of earshot. “This isn’t really the time or the place for the conversation we need to have. But I’d rather it take place somewhere neutral.”

Luke frowned. What was left to say? Unless Hunter wanted to try and push their relationship forward again, and he doubted that, there was nothing more to talk about as far as he was concerned.

Despite his reservations Luke heard himself say, “Just tell me where.”

“The park, tomorrow at noon,” said Hunter without hesitation. He looked as if he’d been practicing that for a while.

“Okay.” Luke nodded in agreement. He didn’t trust himself to say much else.

“I’m heading inside,” said Hunter, stepping past him towards the entrance. “Don’t take too long out here. They’re here for you after all.” A moment later, he disappeared inside.

Luke sighed and tried to regather the resolve that he’d prepared on his walk over. Taking a deep breath, he followed after Hunter.

The moment Luke entered the gallery, he knew something was wrong.

Hunter had frozen in place less than five feet from the entrance and was staring wide eyed at the wall ahead of him.

The painting was impossible to miss, displayed on the far wall opposite the entrance so it was the first thing you saw when you entered the gallery. A large canvas featured Hunter, nude, from an extremely low angle. Luke had taken a Polaroid of him from below and painted the picture from that. He’d been experimenting with non-traditional portrait angles and Hunter had been all too willing to accommodate him.

Unfortunately, this Hunter didn’t remember any of that.

“That wasn’t supposed to be here,” said Luke, quickly stepping towards Hunter. “I gave Allen plenty of other images to use. That was supposed to be in storage.”

“What about the rest of them?” Hunter gestured towards the rest of the displays around the room.

They were all the artistic nudes Luke had done of Hunter. Various angles, styles, and poses. Different moods and themes. All captured Hunter as their main subject.

“I never gave you permission to put me on display like this,” said Hunter, turning towards Luke. “I know we were close once before, but this is an invasion of my privacy. Why would you do this?”

“I didn’t,” insisted Luke. “I got here when you did. I had no part in setting all of this up. I gave Allen more than enough paintings to fill the gallery with. He shouldn’t have used these. They’re personal paintings I did a long time ago. If anything I’m just as betrayed here as you are.”

“The paintings you gave me were awful,” said Allen as he approached. Before either of them could say anything, he slid an arm around each of their shoulders and pulled them close. “Now smile.”

Luke was about to protest, but Allen immediately cut him off with a proclamation to the entire room.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Allen’s voice carried well across the crowd and they turned to look at him. “I present to you the stars of tonight’s show. Your beloved artist, Luke Morrison, and his muse, Hunter Kilder.”

Immediately, the crowd began to flock towards them. They blocked off the exit as they pressed to get closer to Hunter and Luke. Questions, requests, and compliments flooded their way in an indecipherable wave. Allen disappeared and left them alone to fend for themselves.

Hunter looked bewildered as people closed in around him.

Luke glanced behind him; the path was mostly clear. He could make a beeline for the back door and be out into the alley behind the gallery before they realized what was happening. But he couldn’t leave Hunter.

In a single decisive motion, Luke grasped Hunter’s hand. Hunter’s eyes flashed to meet his, and for a moment it looked like he was going to pull away. But the frenzy of the crowd was too much for them to remain in place.

Hands linked, Luke broke into a sprint with Hunter in tow. They pulled away from the crowd and darted between the displays towards the backdoor. Never once did Luke risk looking back. Right now, all that mattered was getting them out of there.

They broke through the back door and out into the alley. The cold air whipped around them and stung at their eyes. Luke kept running, pulling Hunter after him as he headed down the alley in the direction of the city park. It was the warmth of Hunter’s hand that kept him moving forward and the knowledge that once he stopped he would have to let go again.

––––––––

AS THEY REACHED THE edge of the park, Hunter finally pulled his hand free.

“You can stop. I don’t think they’re following us,” called Hunter as Luke’s momentum propelled him further.

Luke gasped for breath as he finally came to a stop. Each breath puffed out in steamy clouds as he sucked in the icy air that stung at his lungs.

Stars had begun to emerge in the night sky overhead. The park was illuminated by lampposts that lined the trails and benches. Nearby, the outdoor skating rink was full of people making lazy circuits around the ice.

“You’ve got to believe me,” said Luke at last, turning towards Hunter. “I didn’t mean for any of those paintings to be seen by the public. I admit I thought about it, but I decided not to do it. I didn’t want you to be upset or embarrassed when you walked into the gallery.”

Hunter shook his head slowly. “I believe you. I’m getting the feeling that this was all Allen. He’s done nothing but subtly hint that you’ve been miserable lately and I needed to talk to you. I think he wanted to force the issue.”

“He’s always fancied himself something of a matchmaker,” said Luke with a frown. “Still, I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s not like the paintings weren’t flattering in a way,” continued Hunter. “I’ve looked at myself naked in the mirror a hundred times, and I never look as good as I did in those paintings.” He chuckled. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Silence fell over them for several moments, threatening to end their encounter. Luke was desperate for it to continue.

“So, I know it’s not tomorrow, but we’re in the park. Did you want to have that discussion now?” he asked.

“We can.” Hunter approached one of the nearby benches and sat down. “My back has been acting up lately,” he explained with a groan as he leaned back against the bench and stretched. “I can’t stay on my feet right now.”

Luke cautiously approached, uncertain if he should join Hunter or not.

Noticing his hesitation, Hunter gently patted the bench beside him. He waited until Luke was seated before taking a deep breath. He looked as if he was trying to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to say.

“Do you remember how sick I was that day?” asked Hunter. “And you came over and took care of me.”

“Of course,” said Luke with a nod.

“You also told me to go to the doctor if it continued.”

Luke nodded again. Fear began creeping into his heart. Was it some side effect from Hunter’s head injury? Was he dying? That would explain why he was suddenly so willing to talk to Luke after a week of keeping to himself.

“I didn’t go right away,” continued Hunter. “It was off and on. Some days it was bad, some days it was good. I just sort of dealt with it for a while.”

Luke’s heart ached. If only he’d known. He would’ve been there to help in an instant. He would have dragged Hunter to the hospital if he’d had to. Whatever it took to make sure the fragile omega was in good health, Luke would’ve done it.

“I was really lonely,” said Hunter with a sigh. “So when Vincent reached out to me again, I let him come over. Unfortunately, I was sick again that day. It had been going on for so long, and I was so miserable. He was the only one I’d seen in a long time, so I asked him to take me to the hospital.”

Luke silently clenched his jaw and bit back all of the acidic remarks that rose to his lips. As awful as Vincent was, Hunter had been more willing to ask him for help than anyone else. That fact alone struck Luke deeply and left him feeling as if he’d been sucker punched in the gut.

“So, I was at the hospital and they ran some tests and checked some things,” continued Hunter. “I didn’t think they were going to find anything wrong with me. But they did. Or maybe it’s not something really wrong...I don’t know actually.”

“Hunter, what is it?” Luke asked. His throat had gone dry and he felt as if his chest was about to implode. Whatever was wrong, he wanted to be there to help Hunter through it. It didn’t matter what the issue was, he would find a way to stay by Hunter’s side.

Hunter looked away for a moment as if trying to figure out the right words to use. He seemed to be struggling. Several times he opened his mouth to speak but closed it again without saying anything.

“Look, I know things are awkward between us,” said Luke quickly, “but I want to be there for you. Whatever it is you’re going through, I want to help—“

“I’m pregnant!” blurted Hunter, stunning Luke into silence.

Luke blinked and tried to collect his thoughts. Hunter was...pregnant? Did that mean...what did that mean?

“Are you sure?” was the only thing Luke could think to say.

Hunter nodded. “They did a blood test and an ultrasound. Apparently I’m roughly twelve weeks along.” He rose from the bench, opened his coat, and pulled up his shirt. The slight swell of his belly was just visible above the top of his jeans.

Luke felt his chest tighten at the sight of Hunter’s pregnant stomach. He had to restrain himself to keep from reaching out and touching it. It didn’t help that Hunter’s skin had always been irresistible to Luke, and he wanted to touch him anyway.

“Twelve...” Luke’s voice trailed off as Hunter bundled up again and returned to his seat.

“Yes,” said Hunter. “I was pregnant before the accident.”

“How does that even make sense? You were in the hospital, shouldn’t they have noticed something?”

“Something to do with how early it was and how short the hospital stay was. I guess even blood tests can’t pick it up that soon.” Hunter shrugged.

“We...us...our...baby.” Luke’s thoughts reeled, and he struggled to form a complete sentence to express himself. This was a baby he and Hunter made together. Probably while they were planning their wedding. In fact, it was likely that night when he’d brought home the brochures for a resort in Maui and told Hunter that was where they were spending their honeymoon.

“Yeah, it’s ours.” Hunter’s voice lacked the thrill that Luke felt fluttering inside of him. “To be honest, I’m kind of freaking out a little. I don’t remember making this baby. I don’t know if I can go through a full pregnancy and give birth to a baby that I feel no attachment to.”

“I...I understand how this would be hard on you,” said Luke. “I know you didn’t ask for this. I just...” his voice trailed off as he tried to figure out his feelings. What did he want right now? Asking Hunter to go through with a pregnancy he didn’t want wasn’t fair, but deep inside Luke knew he wanted this baby.

“I called my mom,” continued Hunter. “She told me that I owed it to my past self to go through with the pregnancy. She also pretty much told me I’m an idiot for running away from my past and trying to separate myself from it so much.”

“Melinda can be a little harsh sometimes,” said Luke, forcing himself to look up at the sky. He knew if he looked over at Hunter he would only stare at the bump hidden beneath his jacket.

“The thing is,” Hunter began, “I’m starting to think that maybe she was right.”

Luke risked a glance at Hunter and found him looking back. They locked eyes for a moment, and Luke tried to find the meaning in what Hunter had said.

“You and I had sex,” said Hunter after a moment. “If I hadn’t been already pregnant, there’s a chance I would’ve gotten pregnant then, right?”

Luke nodded slowly. He didn’t trust himself to speak.

“The things I accused you of that night were cruel,” continued Hunter. “Of course you’re still in love with who I was before. You were going to marry me and that kind of love isn’t just going to go away. I think, maybe, somewhere inside I might still love you too. But those memories are lost to me. All I know for certain, Luke, is I like you. You’ve been kind to me and I enjoyed the time we’ve spent together.”

Luke felt his heart grow a little lighter. Still, he forced himself into silence. Part of him was convinced he must be dreaming and any word would cause him to wake up.

“I still don’t know how I feel about this baby,” said Hunter, pressing his hand against his stomach. “But if you want it, I’m willing to carry it to term for you.”

It took several tries for Luke to speak without his voice cracking. When he finally looked Hunter in the eye, he could feel tears beginning to form. He hadn’t thought something like this would make him so emotional. He’d never pictured himself as one of those spouses that cried with joy when they learned their partner was pregnant.

“Yes,” his voice was hoarse. “I want it. I do.”